Question 1

Almost every solid surface in the Solar System is covered with _______________, most of which formed during a period of heavy bombardment.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Almost every solid surface in the Solar...

Question 2

Which hypothesis was out-ruled by the solar nebular theory?

Accepted Answer

A)  planet accretion hypothesis 
B)  imploding cloud hypothesis 
C)  passing star hypothesis 
D)  condensation hypothesis 
E)  catastrophic hypothesis 
A)  planet accretion hypothesis 
B)  imploding cloud hypothesis 
C)  passing star hypothesis 
D)  condensation hypothesis 
E)  catastrophic hypothesis

Question 3

In the inner solar nebula, only metals and silicates could form solids, so the _______________ planets grew slowly.

Accepted Answer

The answer of In the inner solar nebula, only metals...

Question 4

What astronomical object is the most important source for determining the age of our Solar System?

Accepted Answer

A)  lunar rocks 
B)  Earth core samples 
C)  meteorites 
D)  meteors 
E)  asteroids 
A)  lunar rocks 
B)  Earth core samples 
C)  meteorites 
D)  meteors 
E)  asteroids

Question 5

The Jovian planets formed beyond the _______________, where water vapor, methane, and ammonia could freeze to form ice particles.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The Jovian planets formed beyond the _______________,...

Question 6

The first extrasolar planets discovered are small and have long orbital periods.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 7

From meteorite and lunar rock samples, astronomers have determined the age of the Solar System to be ____.

Accepted Answer

A)  4.6 million years 
B)  10 million years 
C)  2.4 billion years 
D)  4.6 billion years 
E)  8.4 billion years 
A)  4.6 million years 
B)  10 million years 
C)  2.4 billion years 
D)  4.6 billion years 
E)  8.4 billion years

Question 8

Water vapor, methane, and ammonia were abundant in the solar nebula.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 9

Laplace's nebular hypothesis was problematic in that he could not explain ____.

Accepted Answer

A)  the different types of planets 
B)  the rotational direction of the planets 
C)  how the Sun had 
D)  how one star could come within a close encounter of another star 
E)  how gravity was the dominant force of planet formation 
A)  the different types of planets 
B)  the rotational direction of the planets 
C)  how the Sun had 
D)  how one star could come within a close encounter of another star 
E)  how gravity was the dominant force of planet formation

Question 10

Which physical property in Laplace's nebular hypothesis could not explain the Sun's slow rotation?

Accepted Answer

A)  angular momentum 
B)  angular diameter 
C)  gravitational pull 
D)  radiation pressure 
E)  electromagnetic energy 
A)  angular momentum 
B)  angular diameter 
C)  gravitational pull 
D)  radiation pressure 
E)  electromagnetic energy

Question 11

Asteroids are the last of the icy planetesimals from the formation of the Solar System.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 12

Georges-Louis de Buffon was the first to propose that the Sun and planets formed when a large vortex contracted and condensed.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 13

Which theory best describes today's current thinking about the birth of a solar system?

Accepted Answer

A)  Big Bang theory 
B)  Solar Nebular theory 
C)  Condensation theory 
D)  Theory of Relativity 
E)  Passing star theory 
A)  Big Bang theory 
B)  Solar Nebular theory 
C)  Condensation theory 
D)  Theory of Relativity 
E)  Passing star theory

Question 14

Which best describes the appearance of an asteroid?

Accepted Answer

A)  spherical in shape and covered with craters 
B)  spherical in shape with a volcanic surface 
C)  irregular in shape and covered with craters 
D)  irregular in shape with a volcanic surface 
E)  spherical in shape and smooth, dusty surface 
A)  spherical in shape and covered with craters 
B)  spherical in shape with a volcanic surface 
C)  irregular in shape and covered with craters 
D)  irregular in shape with a volcanic surface 
E)  spherical in shape and smooth, dusty surface

Question 15

The inner planets are composed of rock and metal, and the outer planets are rich in low-density gases such as hydrogen and helium.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 16

During Solar System formation, solid particles contracted from the gas of the nebula as it cooled.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 17

Planetesimals beyond the orbit of _____ failed to accumulate into a protoplanet because the gravitational field of _____ continuously disturbed their motion.

Accepted Answer

A)  Neptune; Uranus 
B)  Jupiter; Mars 
C)  Earth; Saturn 
D)  Mars; Earth 
E)  Mars; Jupiter 
A)  Neptune; Uranus 
B)  Jupiter; Mars 
C)  Earth; Saturn 
D)  Mars; Earth 
E)  Mars; Jupiter

Question 18

What are the small bits of rock and metal that collide with Earth's atmosphere?

Accepted Answer

A)  meteors 
B)  comets 
C)  asteroids 
D)  meteorites 
E)  meteoroids 
A)  meteors 
B)  comets 
C)  asteroids 
D)  meteorites 
E)  meteoroids

Question 19

According to the solar nebula theory, Earth and the other planets of the Solar System formed billions of years ago as the Sun _______________ from a cloud of interstellar gas and dust.

Accepted Answer

The answer of According to the solar nebula theory, Earth...

Question 20

The dense disks of gas and dust such as those seen around the stars in Orion are sites where planets could be forming right now.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Exam 19: Origin of the Solar System and Extrasolar Planets

Almost every solid surface in the Solar System is covered with _______________, most of which formed during a period of heavy bombardment.

Which hypothesis was out-ruled by the solar nebular theory?

In the inner solar nebula, only metals and silicates could form solids, so the _______________ planets grew slowly.

What astronomical object is the most important source for determining the age of our Solar System?

The Jovian planets formed beyond the _______________, where water vapor, methane, and ammonia could freeze to form ice particles.

The first extrasolar planets discovered are small and have long orbital periods.

From meteorite and lunar rock samples, astronomers have determined the age of the Solar System to be ____.

Water vapor, methane, and ammonia were abundant in the solar nebula.

Laplace's nebular hypothesis was problematic in that he could not explain ____.

Which physical property in Laplace's nebular hypothesis could not explain the Sun's slow rotation?

Asteroids are the last of the icy planetesimals from the formation of the Solar System.

Georges-Louis de Buffon was the first to propose that the Sun and planets formed when a large vortex contracted and condensed.

Which theory best describes today's current thinking about the birth of a solar system?

Which best describes the appearance of an asteroid?

The inner planets are composed of rock and metal, and the outer planets are rich in low-density gases such as hydrogen and helium.

During Solar System formation, solid particles contracted from the gas of the nebula as it cooled.

Planetesimals beyond the orbit of _____ failed to accumulate into a protoplanet because the gravitational field of _____ continuously disturbed their motion.

What are the small bits of rock and metal that collide with Earth's atmosphere?

According to the solar nebula theory, Earth and the other planets of the Solar System formed billions of years ago as the Sun _______________ from a cloud of interstellar gas and dust.

The dense disks of gas and dust such as those seen around the stars in Orion are sites where planets could be forming right now.

Here and Now

A Users Guide to the Sky

Moon Phases and Eclipses

Origins of Modern Astronomy

Gravity

Light and Telescopes

Atoms and Spectra

The Sun

The Family of Stars

The Interstellar Medium

Formation and Structure of Stars

Stellar Evolution

Deaths of Stars

Neutron Stars and Black Holes

The Milky Way Galaxy

Galaxies

Supermassive Black Holes and Active Galaxies

Modern Cosmology

Earth the Active Planet

The Moon and Mercury

Venus and Mars

Jupiter and Saturn

Uranus Neptune Pluto and the Kuiper Belt

Meteorites Asteroids and Comets

Astrobiology

Filters

Planetesimals beyond the orbit of _ failed to accumulate into a protoplanet because the gravitational field of _ continuously disturbed their motion.